Legends
by Lockheed X-17
Summary: When the Age of Myths have passed, the legends of the past grew dimmer and dimmer still. After the Descent of the Gods, a new hope blossoms, the Age of Heroes shine once again. The legends old and legends new, both shall rise into greatness into fame, inspiring those now living to grow a new generation of legends.
1. Chapter 1: Adventuring Shenanigans

Originally posted on Spacebattles. I do not own both Dwarf Fortress and Danmachi. If I did, I probably would have published this elsewhere.

* * *

The adventurer held his beer tightly. This was his last mug, he said to himself, slightly trembling from it's implications.

His free hand found it's way towards his bag. What luck... there was nothing... not even a single coin. What luck!

His eyes then wandered towards the mug. Will he drink it now? Or will he fill his waterskin with it and drink it later? These questions boggled his mind, for all he wanted to do was to drink it anyway. Especially given the place he was in.

The sound of mugs colliding with each other, of plates clattering against the tables, of weapons clanking as they were placed on the floor, of adventurers telling tales of their exploits, these sounds filled the tavern with life. The wooden floor creaked ever so slightly, the planks were old and unevenly placed. There were also voices within earshot, telling stories of adventure, of treasure, and of glory. Oh how he wished his days be turned back, for those memories seemed as if it happened yesterday. Those glorious days of his, those days when he adventured more than he did right now, those days when he encountered monsters that seemed too great, too powerful to be defeated. The past seem to be much more different, now that he was thinking about it. Times of grave danger and times of great catastrophe, turned into memories he wished to live once more.

Tears slowly formed within his eyes, tears of nostalgia and of longing. He then wiped them, as soon as he noticed a crawling sensation on his cheeks. Now, he was here. Forgotten. Not even one of the adventurers know of his story, for all assumed that he simply is a starting adventurer. He could not blame them, however, for a long time has passed ever since those days-his days of glory.

His daydreams were soon interrupted by a loud shout, not of fear nor of terror, but one of great excitement.

"The Loki Familia is here!"

His eyes then darted towards the door, figures soon entering from the door of the tavern. Out of all those who entered, there were five that caught his attention. A dwarf, a wolf man, a gold-haired human, and elves.

He detest elves. He loathed them greatly, though it is not without reason. Their arrogance, their intense devotion to nature, their massively overblown ego, there are almost a thousand reasons for him to hate an elf, and he could even add more to the ever-growing list.

The group of adventurers that just entered chose a seat near his, quite the distance for him to eavesdrop on their conversation. He could hear them talk about their adventures within the Dungeon, their current problems, their gossips, their rumours, their boisterous laughter... Such laughter made him remember those times again...

The conversation made a great turn when the wolf man became rather drunk with his ale, bastard can't even keep his liquor.

"Oi Aiz! Won't you tell them what happened earlier in the dungeon?" the wolf man said as he laughed, facing the gold-haired human. The elf-hating adventurer then took his last mug of wine and refilled his waterskin with it, and he could not afford to waste a single drop.

"Bete, you're getting quite drunk!" replied the brown-skinned human.

"Says the weakling!" the wolf man barked in return, and then faced the human earlier. "Anyways, there was this adventurer in the Upper Levels of the Dungeon who was chased by a minotaur. Aiz killed it andsaved his butt while he was drenched with blood. You know what Tomato-Boy did after Aiz saved him?" This was getting quite interesting to hear...

"Tomato-Boy then ran away from Aiz! At full speed, no less! How pathetic!"

"Bete! You know it is our fault why the minotaurs escaped from the middle levels." the green-haired elf said to the wolf man, admonishing him.

"Shut up!" he replied. There was a few moments of silence from their group, at least until the wolf man began to speak again.

"So Aiz, if you were to pick between me an' him, who would ya pick? Me, or the Tomato-boy?" a wry smile formed from the wolf man's face, eyes curled up seemingly in delight. "There's no way you would pick that weakling, amirite? You wouldn't want to be beside such a novice, you wouldn't accept it."

At the same time, a white-haired boy immediately stood up and ran away.

"Pulling that in Mama Mia's tavern, either he's really brave or really stupid..." a red-headed human-no, goddess said. He reminded himself that in this world, gods and godesses have already descended to the Lower World.

In all his days of adventuring in Orario, he had joined not even a single party, not even a familia. This made him feel quite lonely.

Tomorrow should yield more treasures for him. Or trash, depending on his luck...

* * *

The morning sky shone ever so brightly, the clouds reflecting the majestic light of the sun. But the nameless adventurer did not care about such beauty, for nature seemed as a disgusting abomination to him.

He hid his face beneath his helmet, the shadow hiding most of his features. He carried his trusty warhammer, his only weapon, and his shield, though he did not usually use it. He wore no suit of armour, for it only served to slow him down. He wore no luxurious vanities, no gems nor ornamental clothing, for it only served to distract him while fighting.

This time, he descended towards the 15th floor. It was his first time descending that deep, especially since it was in the middle levels of the Dungeon. Confident that no beast would outmatch his speed, he pressed onwards.

His first encounter was with a group of rabbits, axe-wielding rabbits to be precise. It took about a minute to kill them all, their bodies crushed and mangled. They had broken bones, crushed organs, and, strangely, purple stones. Although he thought that it was quite useless in combat situations, he did learn that these stones are sold to the Adventurer's Guild to exchange for money. Not bad...

He took those stones out of their body, sometimes eviscerating them just remove it. It took a while, however, and beasts soon pile up in numbers within the depths of the Middle Floors.

A black 'wolf' then appeared out of the darkness, to the adventurer's surprise. Fire began to grow within it's maw. More of these beasts sprouted out, along with those pesky rabbit-things, and attacked. He sighed, his work interrupted by their presence. Quickly, he withdrew from his position and charged towards them. A bloody battle ensued, internal organs, some body parts, and blood scattered everywhere. But none of them managed to lay even a scratch on him, no, for the casualties that suffered are from the monster's side. His movements were too quick for them, he had doged all their attacks with grace fit for noble races, yet his attacks were ferocious, equalling that to a monster itself. Rage filled his veins, his eyes transforming that to a sheen of red. His hammer strikes crushed them, figuratively and literally, as their corpses exploded from the sheer weight of the weapon.

When all was done, he gathered all their stones. There were a lot of them, and he took his time. Still, he wanted to be sure.

He then waved his hand, making strange gestures in the air. What happened was that some of those corpses not yet butchered or mangled rose. Some of them had broken bones, some of them had entrails being ripped out, still others had no legs. The undead beasts, though they were few, were quite formidable. They are only a few, but it proved more than enough when two of the former fire-breathing dogs decimated an oncoming force of axe-wielding rabbits.

The adventurer, as soon as he finished gathering the stones, then continued within the depths, knowing that more powerful foes reside within the darkness. Soon enough, he encountered a group of minotaurs, beasts with the form of both man and cow, who brandish crudely-made weapons. His undead servants attacked them with ruthless efficiency, for the thralls only care about serving their master.

At least he needed not to drink, even eat. That would be useful, especially for adventurers like him. Still, his throat still thirsts for the taste of ale, especially those of great quality. Before he knew it, the minotaurs were killed, and became a vaulable addition to his party.

Deeper still, the walls seemed to change. Ridges soon appeared from the floor, rising every other floor until it revealed deep holes within them, showing the awfully long path below. It took him days just to reach Floor 17, with most of his undead legion dying and replaced. His forces were numbered to about 24, 12 of which are minotaurs, 5 of the fire-breathing dogs, with the remaining numbers being rabbits. It was a force to be reckoned with, and a force of which most adventurers would be left trembling in fear. But he knew better.

Finally, they arrived infront of the the entrance of the next floor. According to the information he had gathered, they would encounter the great monster Goliath. Reputed to be huge and powerful, the nameless adventurer had planned on how to defeat this Goliath. Basing his plan on the assumption that the "Goliath" is as least as tall as a bronze collosus, perhaps even larger.

Suddenly, the walls shook. Crystals broke out, revealing an enormous beast with the shape of a human. Black-haired, brown skinned, red-eyed, the monster looked almost as terrifying as those forgotten beasts, a monster who exuded great power within his very form. Almost.

Quickly, he ordered the rabbits to attack the monster. Of course, they were mostly wiped out. But the Goliath merely screamed, and the groun beneath him seem to explode. The wolves then scattered towards the sides, flanking the monster. The minotaurs charged alongside with him, arranged in a loose formation with him leading the attack. Before the beast could react, the unamed adventurer had mauled the left leg with his hammer. The leg was crushed to paste, crippling the giant. The wolves on it's flank fired, their breath scorching and burning it's skin. Now that the mighty goliath had kneeled, he brought it lower by breaking his remaining leg. The beast flailed about, killing the remaining rabbits and some of the minotaurs. It wailed, taking some of the wolves far away. Soon enough, the monster faced towards him. It opened it's enormous maw, and howled.

He dodged the attack, now that he was well aquaintanced with the scream's effect. His movements were fast, weaving through the Goliath's arms. Now that the beast was bowing towards the ground, he took the opportunity to maul his head.

The monster moved his head, the adventurer missing the giant. He ordered the remaining minotaurs to cut down the beast's arms, with him being the focus of the beast's attacks. One by one, the minotaur's hacked through the flesh. Each blow was not that deep, but with enough repetitive cuts, the Goliath would soon be deprived of an arm.

The beast now crawled, with only one hand remaining to keep it's head above the ground. While it was still too high for the nameless adventurer, he only had to cut off the other arm. Easier said than done.

A guttural howl, a loud noise. The ground exploded yet again. This time, the Goliath kept on howling, knowing that it was the only chance it had to kill the attackers. While valiant, it was not enough. Soon, it's last remaining arm faltered. Death was ensured, but it did not give up. With one last howl it will trump against it's foes. With one last attack it would kill the raging being. But... something was off...

This 'creature' seemed to move, as it were still alive. But the creature infront of him... It was not alive. Moving, commanding an army of undead beasts, this was unknown to the Goliath. There was only one solution to this problem, to every problem it had faced.

It howled yet again, mused the adventurer. The monster simply did not learn to give up, a trait that seemed universal with all monsters, inside the Dungeon or not. If it weren't for that, half of his fights against them would feel quite empty. Now, the beast infront of him now lay flat on his feet, an amusing sign of defeat and resignation. But, before he would kill it, he would first make it suffer.

The remaining undead minotaurs were ordered to chop off the Goliath's legs, making sure it would never stand up. Then his arms, until all that remains would be the torso and the head. It was difficult to move the giant, especially since the body was too large for most of them to carry, so the adventurer then climbed the beast's back, raising his hammer. A strike, the beast's spine seem to crack. Another strike, the left rib shattered. Another, and the beast was bleeding profusely. He then descended towards the beast's head, facing it. With a swift strike, the wails of pain and terror soon subsided, replaced only by the sickening sound of bones crackling, and the slightly subdued sound of the Goliath's breathing.

It was clearly feeling pain, it's head trying to move again and again in random directions. The Goliath, a monster of enormous size and raw power, now learned what it feels to fear. Face to face with a monster like the one infront of itself, it was clearly no match. The monster did not intend to kill him right away, no. For the poor Goliath soon was aquaintanced with the adventurer's hammer yet again. And darkness overtook it, like the countless times before.

"Silence." the adventurer said solemly. It broke the silence withn the room, for even the minotaurs and the wolves seem to stay still after the Goliath's defeat. Finally, he descended towards the ground, eager to return to the surface.

Now that the beast has been taken care of, the adventurer withdrew his remaining minotaurs and fire-breathing wolves. They are to come back up again, to return these purple stones to the Guild.

* * *

The adventurer tried his best to remember how long he had been within the Dungeon. Two days? Four? His rations were soon depleted when he arrived at the surface. His army of undead monsters now lied underneath the soil and stone, awaiting only his call.

He hoped that no-one would touch them, because these monsters have...issues with living creatures. That, and it would be bad news for newbies stumbling over a group of undead minotaurs, undead axe-wielding rabbits, and undead fire-breathing wolves in the Upper Levels of the Dungeon. It was the least of his worries, however, since the Guild apprehended him the second he entered the Guild's quarters. An unknown, unranked adventurer, carrying what it seems like troves of magic stones within his backpack, and without connection to any familias in Orario. It was not the first time he was caught, but it was perhaps the most suspicious. He was warned, by the higher-ups within the Guild, that he has to find a familia before they might be forced to imprison him for investigation. Ouch.

He was given only a limited amount of time, about a week, to search for a familia. Judging by his looks and reputation, he was bound to find one, right?

Wrong. It was because of his looks and reputation that nobody even wanted to include him within their ranks. Mysterious, unnerving, ragged, it was only a few description compared to what they have heard of him, yet only a few seem to know about that. Yes, he is quite mysterious, but that was because nobody even bothered to ask him! Was it his fault that nobody seemed to mingle with him? No, of course he won't believe it to be the case. Did they knew of his abilities? Perhaps not, he was overly-cautious when it comes to using his dark magics, not that these dark magics were bad (he has heard of demonic magic being used by a high-leveled adventurer). Even still, why was he still not in a familia?

Day after day, he faced men and women rejecting his pleas. Either he join one, or end up being imprisoned. And he did not want to be imprisoned, after all he was innocent! What kind of crime did he commit? Being suspicious? Other than looking quite scary and not being that well-known, well...he must admit that he does sound suspicious if he said it that way.

Soon, the skies grew dark yet again. He roamed around the city, and stumbled upon a golden-haired human.

She was accompanied by two brown-skinned humans, and an elf. Guuugh... Elves... His face contorted ever so slightly when he pronounced the words, and it left a rather distasteful flavour at the back of his throat. Anger seared within his veins, but he kept it under control.

The gold-haired human seem to approach him, looking at him. Was his face dirty or something? Is there blood on his tunic?

He then heard the elf speak in the tongue of humans. Unusual, but something struck him odd. "Do you know him, Miss Aiz?"

This opportunity had been unexpected. It was a rather rare chance to bump into someone in a dark, spooky alleyway, moreso that the said person is actually famous. He did remember seeing her in a pub, but that was a rather long time ago. Her name, Aiz Walledstein, was it? Or was it Wallstone? Wallstein? Whatever her last name is, he did learn that she was rather famous, strong even. Through rumours, he learned that she was dubbed 'the Sword Princess' because of her battle prowess and reputation coupled with her looks. Although he wouldn't mind sparring with her some time, he doesn't have the time for that. Only two more days left...

Wait. That's it! It was common knowledge that most adventurers have a familia, and since this 'princess' is also an adventurer, he could pretty much ask her to join her familia. Problem solved.

But then, it was quite difficult convincing other adventurers, how much more convincing her? Quickly, he thought about various ways on how he could convince her, but there is only one that stuck in his mind.

A brawl.

Would it be a good idea though? That, he will will find out. "Pardon me, Sword Princess, but this one would like to ask a question..."

The two brown-skinned humans turned their heads slightly towards her, but their elf friend seem to look at him differently. A mix of curiousity and hostility. Polite, yet ready to fight, which was not unexpected. Oddly, however, the Sword Princess seemed more curious than her. Her face was rather stoic, but he can see-no, he can feel that she her urge to fight, the urge to battle and win. He can sense that she wants to fight, simply because she wants to trump over her foes. It was a feeling that the nameless adventurer knew about, a feeling that once took him a long time before.

So he said it, sweet and short.

"Would you like to spar?"


	2. Chapter 2: Leadership and Royalty

The Sword Princess and her friends walked down towards this quite eerie and dangerous-looking alley. Although Lefiya was scared, Tione said something about stuff that they are going to sell. Since she already accompanied them at this point, there was no way she'd back down now.

Then they met this really strange man(?) wearing some old-looking tunic, a cloak, a scary-looking helmet which menaced with spikes, a metal shield, and an equally strange yet intricately detailed warhammer. He also looked quite thin, but she could feel an ominous shadow looming over them. His face seem to be stuck with a permanent scowl, accentuating in what seems like anger.

The stranger then mumbled something, and paused. After that, he asked her a question.

"Pardon me, Sword Princess, but this one would like to ask a question, would you like to spar?"

Meanwhile, Lefiya and the others looked quite shocked, while Tione's face seem to contort in rage. "How dare you insult our Princess! Why do you think that Aiz would even accept your challenge? You pathetic weakling!"

At that moment, both Tiona and Lefiya looked at her, dumbstruck. She almost sounded like Bete, especially at the last moment. Tiona tried to stop her sister, yet it was clear that she failed. Stranger, still, the challenger seem to scoff, giggling even.

"If you insist, my lady..." the stranger said, dropping his hammer and his shield. The hammer smashed the stone, crashing through it like nobody's business. It also made the ground shake quite a bit, terrifying... "I would, however, like to do a little bit of a brawl. It has been quite a long time since I fought barehanded."

"Now, if you please?"

* * *

The nameless adventurer was, to some extent, disappointed. It seems like he won't fight with the Princess tonight, but this...human... might have a bit of a chance. Well, just a little bit anyway.

He cracked his knuckles quite loudly, showing off a bit. The brown-skinned human obliged with his sign of 'aggression', if it could be called that, and charged. She had no weapons with her, only fists. And legs. And head. And body... Screw that, focus on the battle at hand, he thought.

The woman's punch carried great power with them, although it was quite subdued. She was trying to control herself, how admirable. Yet it was also insulting at the same time. Judging by the way she carried herself, he evaluated that she could be at the level of professional, bare-fisted warriors, maybe even higher. But her attacks, as he observed and noted earlier, were simply too strong for that. She fought, yet by the way she fought, she fought clumsily, yet the attacks were precise. There was no elegance, nor beauty, nor rythym in her fighting style, but it was all too predictable. Not like he like elegance and whatnot, they could go to hell for all he cared.

The nameless adventurer dodged every attack with great ease. It almost looked like as if he was dancing. In truth, he simply dodged her attacks. That's it. He can see her enraged face, and now her attacks felt stronger. Good. She's taking it seriously. Now, it was his time to show off.

The punch landed sqaurely on the woman's stomach. She was sent flying a few meters back, but she stood up as if it were nothing.

"I see that you are quite strong indeed." he commented. "Although your attempt to hold yourself back was quite flattering, I do wish for you to fight seriously."

If it were a long time ago, he would have attacked her relentlessly. But he changed, he grew from that kind of mindset. No longer was he the berserker that his kin once feared, but a creature who sought to fight. And win. That was the only reason he fought these days, not much challenge coming from them. It was so tiring and boring that he only wished for them to die. But not today, at least.

With blinding speed, he charged towards the buxom, brown-skinned human. Before she could even react, he already reached infront of her. She pulled out some blindly-thrown attacks, but somehow, he managed to evade them all.

The woman nearly yelled in disbelief. Mid-punch, she can see that he moved-no, he was charging up a punch. And then she felt it. Another gut-wrenching punch. This time, she tried her hardest not to move. "Oh, so you could also withstand that." the challenger mused. "Let's try something...a little bit stronger."

Another punch. It was too fast for her to block or dodge. The punch, no matter how hard she tried to resist it, pushed her another couple meters away. It was only one punch, the attacker didn't even break a sweat, but he seemed, overpowering. Not only that, she felt as if she was beside something different.

The elf's jaws hung in awe with what the two fighters shown infront of them, while the other brown-skinned human looked impressed. Aiz, however, stood there. Her face was plastered with the same stoicism he has heard from rumours. Well, it would take a lot to impress him were their roles be exchanged. Still, he must look as good as possible so his chances would rise.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed the buxom fighter disappear. He frantically turned his head, until he then saw her coming from above. INSANITY! he thought. Then again, he had seen others do more insane thing than that. He sidestepped once she landed, crashing down the pavement and breaking it. That was close, he thought. But if she wanted to play rough, so be it.

The human once again charged towards him, gauging him and predicting his movements. Unexpectedly, he did not dodge it, at least not conciously, but he countered it. A swift kick followed, not from him. He was flung to the left, almost breaking the wall. Painful, but it was less compared to what he had once endured. The human then ran towards him, charging up a punch. He immediately lunged towards her and pinned her down with his left foot. She struggled, and strained. The faces of her comrades suddenly twisted into something rather sinister, their weapons readied and stances indicate hostility. Unsure about victory against the famed Princess, he let the human go. "I am terribly sorry, but I am finished for now." he said. That struck a chord in the human, her face barely veiled her anger. "HOW DARE YOU UNDERESTIMATE M-"

He punched her in the gut, putting her to sleep. "That's gonna take a while." he said, before he turned towards the human's group. "Once again, I am terribly sorry I have to make her endure all this. This was not my intention, but your comrade here had forced her hand. To make it up for you, I wish to accompany you."

* * *

It had been quite awkward, shifting the mood almost instantaneously. It is awkward, but he had to endure it.

"Excuse me, my lady, but where shall we head?" he asked the assumed leader of the group, Aiz Wallsomething. It was difficult to say (or remember, to some extent) human names, especially in human tongue. It was also difficult to talk to her, since she rarely speak (at least, that was what he observed.), making it hard to start a conversation with her. Instead, he reflected the question to the other brown-skinned human.

"I think we're gonna head back home, Tiona doesn't look good..."

"If it's her health you're worrying about, don't worry. She is strong." And at least she didn't vomit while I put her to sleep, he might have added, but it was better not to make them worry about it.

"So anyway, why did you suddenly challenge us like that?" she asked.

Crap. Now what? I'm not a good liar, nor can I make up things spontaneously! My skills in talking are very rusty!

Say something then, anything! Say anything to take up her time!

No, wait. If I speak rashly, I might end up worse than I am in currently...

What am I gonna do? What am I gonna say?

His internal monologue took about a few seconds, which made the not-asleep brown-skinned human look at him weirdly.

"...Uh..." Should I tell them the truth?

"In all honesty, I-" a pause, a small sigh. "wish to be of aid to you. Your group, I mean." It had been a really long time since he actually spoke to anyone. Naturally, this made him quite bad in speaking, and since he mostly go solo, this had not been a problem. It's not like the dead would talk, to him at least.

"Hmm?" she muttered. "Oh, if you're wanting to join us, feel free to do so. We won't try to stop you in doing so... At least, I won't." she smiled after uttering the last phrase. How assuring of her. Well, at least that's one persuaded. Slowly, he picked up the sleeping fighter.

The buxom fighter, Tiona, rustled as she slept. He can hear her groaning, uttering some words, perhaps of love? Whatever she was babbling about, he better be careful around her.

He then felt someone tugging his tunic. He turned around (carefully, so not to disturb the sleeping woman) and found out that it was the elf they accompanied. Oh, how did he forget... "What is it you may ask of me?" he said, careful not to put venom in his words, or any kind of negative connotations...

"May I ask for your name?" she said.

Now that was a tough question to answer. Although he hadn't forgotten his name, it had been a while since somebody bothered. Let's see, Rodem? no, that wasn't the word, at least not in their language. After a few seconds of careful deliberation, he finally said it. "My name is P-"

"Oh, look! We're here!" cried out the brown human. Her voice muffled his, interrupting him in the middle of his speech, and even with her sensitive hearing, 'P' doubted that she had heard him say it.

"P? You're name is P?" the less-endowed human remarked.

"If that is what you wish to call me..." he replied in return. Though he could have protested, it would mean much fuss.

The gate then opened, revealing a small, red-haired, thin human. P was surprised, her presence felt quite disturbing to him, as if she was something different than mortals. That, and she immediately performed a leap towards the group after saying something he didn't hear. Were it in another place, in another time, he could have mistaken it for an attack, a mad dash coupled with a leap. Arms opened, an embrace of which the victim would be entangled in... Ah... Fresh memories...

After returning back to reality, he had noticed the 'human' groping the elf's... the elf's...bountiful treasure... If this is what most humans do out here in the open, then he had been mistaken about them, then. Compared to this...act of debauchery the likes he had never seen before, the elves suddenly looked a bit more sensible to the red human, if only a bit.

"GODDESS LOKI!" the elf cried out in what seemed like embarassment. Wait, Loki? Goddess? Could it be that this, red human over here is a goddess, and the goddess that they worship? Then again, gods are quite weird, even in the past. Can't blame them anyway.

The goddess then raised her head towards him. "Who's this stranger o'er here?" she said. When he got a closer look at her, he noticed that her eyes were like slits, covering what lies underneath it. Her smile was, in a way, disturbing. Contorted. Something was wrong... Or, maybe not. Gods are stange, anyway.

"Oi! Who 're you? I did ask ye a question!" Ah, it was her. He remembered that time in that tavern, yes. "Why are ye carrying Tione, eh?"

"I am quite sorry for the delay, I had but a thoughts in my mind."

"I ask ye, who are ye?!" Now she sounded agitated. "And what are ye doing?"

"Oh, sorry. I am yet to introduce myself. My name is P-"

He was then interrupted by the rustling of his passenger. "Ughughuu... What... happened? What am I-"

Her eyes then locked towards him, face twitching in anger. "Wa-WHAT ARE YOU DOING! WHY ARE YOU CARRYING ME?!"

She struggled, punching and slamming her hands on P's back and shoulders. Despite her strength, he managed to stay completely still. It seemed like a miracle that his back was still in one piece.

After much tantruming, P dropped the woman. Gently.

Or, at least he tried to. P accidentally dropped her on the pavement, with a resounding 'thump'.

"Ow... What are you doing here?!" the woman-err, Tione, asked. There was anger in her tone of speech.

"I am terribly sorry about earlier." he replied. "In my haste, I accidentally knocked you unconcious..."

"Ehhh? Accidentally?! I don't believe you!"

"Believe in whatever you wish, my lady, but it is the truth."

The two(well, mostly Tione)'s bickering was stopped by the presence of two other people. A wolf-man and a short human (is he even human?) approached them. "What seems to be the problem here?" the latter asked.

"Well, this-"

"I sincerely apologize for my earlier actions, however, it was merely an accident on my part."

"Accident? Accident my ass! You're the one who started it!"

"Now, now, please!"

"WILL YA SHUTUP YE TWO?!" the wolf-man interjected. His voice was loud, and rather clear. "YOU WEAKLINGS CAN"T SIMPLY SHUT UP, WILL YE?!"

Now that was quite rude. Although P could remember speaking like that once, he immediately dropped it once he noticed how ugly the speech sounded to him. Still, it was impressive that other people could pull it off like that. The wolf-man's rage reminded him of his past self, at least in intensity.

"If I may be blunt, madam" he faced towards the goddess. "Can I join your familia?"

"EHHH!?"

* * *

The room was brightly lit. Inside it were various accessories, books, furniture, extravagant objects adorning it. The green carpet underneath it gave it a rather regal look, the wooden table made out of the finest wood, the bookshelves containing a trove of information. Were he be in here in another time, he could have read those books and enjoyed the lavish decoration. But such things did not fit his tastes, to be honest.

In the room were a few people; a dwarf, the goddess, the short not-human, a wolf-man, and the elf. Bah, elves... What an ungainly sight...

"You, adventurer. What is your name?" the purple not-human asked him. It was clear in his choice of clothing that he is the leader of this group, a noble.

Would it be okay to tell them his name? Would his chances drop if they told them his name? Would they recognize his name? Especially the elf inside this room? He weighed his chances carefully, deliberating.

"Would you really want to know my name?" he asked them.

"Of course we do, it is a matter of importance to us." the noble replied. His intention now made clear, now he was sure. No longer shall he hide in the dark, let his title shine brightly. Let his allies recognize him, his challengers know him, and his enemies fear him. For his title shan't be obscured no longer.

"My name is Cacame Awemedinade, Elven King of the dwarven fortress of Gamildodok, the mountainhomes of my civilization. I am better known asthe Immortal Onslaught. I do hope I can serve you well."

It was followed by short bow from the Elf King, as a gesture of respect towards their leader.


	3. Chapter 3: Monsters

Cacame waited inside the familia's living room. He was told to stay inside their mansion for a while, must be something. He was unnerved by this, the first time he could ever remember feeling it. He was sweating, or, at least he felt he did. Years of being undead have made him forget about the various things he could no longer do, but it did not bother him. Looking outside, he could see the darkness outside. It was already night, yet the city of Orario seem to be more livier during the night.

"Oi P!" said a rather shrill, a rather high pitched voice. It came from the slender, brown-skinned human. If his memory serves him well, her name was... Tiona? Tione? Curse their beffudled language! It was hard to differentiate her from her sister, because of the similarity of their names. But enough of his bickering, he had to correct her.

"I haven't introduced myself yet properly, excuse me." he said. "My name is Cacame Awemedinade, at your service." followed by a bow.

"Ah! You're that Cacame they're talking about." she said in reply. "They say that you're a king. Are you a king?"

"Uh...yes?" he replied.

Then, he heard noises. He can hear tapping, no-footsteps from the mansion's entrance. He can then hear the goddess say something about joining some kind of ball, and someone saying something about an event they call 'Monsterphilia'.

"Excuse me, lady, but what is this...'Monsterphilia' event?"

* * *

It was a rather bright and sunny day, but the dwarf cared for it not. His weapon was rusty, a testament to it's usefulness. His helmet was broken, beyond repair. His armor was slightly missing, partly melted. His shield broken, shattered by what seemed like an enormous bite. He had just arrived from this town, accompanied by adventurers lusting for gold and battle. Though to be fair, he simply accompanied them for he had nothing else to do, and nothing else to lose.

His face had seen better days, slightly torn and filled with scars. He have heard of shops here, selling miraculous potions that could heal any burn, that could repair the flesh, and restore the health. It had been a long time since he returned to civilization, for he had always been out there, on his own adventure.

Nightmares have plagued him ever since he escaped from that place, a horrific place filled with madness and torture. He was once assigned to be an Overseer, but the place has already have flushed down the drain when he got in the position. Any place is better than this, he usually told himself. I must press onwards.

Since the fall of that place, he could hear voices. A faint mist follows him, wherever he goes.

'It has been a long time since then, Overseer...' the voice told him. It was distinctly feminine, yet gruff like a male. 'Do you still remember the blood? Do you still remember the carnage?"

He did not reply, for the ghost knew what he would answer.

'Do you still remember that girl? Pitful young girl... her fate would have been better if you have killed her long ago.'

The ghost taunted him, his memories of that wretched hive playing once again in his mind.

There was fire, and smoke. There were charred remains scattered both inside and outside of the fortress. Bones littered the lawn of the area, lava spreading all over. He could still remember the shouts, their screams, their wails. He could see former comrades, friends, burning alive due to the madness of that damned lizard. He could still remember that sight, the rampage of the former emperor. Her axe bludgeoned everyone in her way, helpless men, women, and children alike slaughtered anyone she met. He tried to stop her, but he could not get close. Soon enough, he could see her body, she was roasted alive after she killed that last dwarf. The victim was, at least, spared from burning alive.

The place was in total chaos. All his efforts to regain order was futile, for all in Boatmurdered became insane. The continuous smoke had corrupted their minds, the wanton use of that damned lava moat has became their downfall. After all the anarchy, only two remained. Him, and that girl. She was young, unable to comprehend the nightmare that unfolded infront of their eyes. The last time she saw her, she was playing with a smooth stone, playing make believe. Oh, how he wished he had the innocence of that youth, such ignorance of theirs would make him forget the horrors...

Suddenly, he was bumped by a young lady, a human, and made him return to reality. She was taller than him, and accidentally bumped him in her haste. "I am very sorry." she said, quickly after running off. "Can't afford to be late during the Monsterphilia."

Monsterphilia, eh? Sounds interesting. Perhaps he should follow her, see where she goes, and see what will happen.

After all, he had nothing else to lose. Not anymore...

* * *

Monsterphilia. It is a grand event, men battle monsters for all to see. The Ganesha familia sponsored and ran the event. The spectators came from all around the city, from the simple everyman to the grandest adventurer, all are invited to watch. The breathtaking spectacle, the grandiose nature of the Colosseum, fighting monsters is a sight to behold. They have invited, not only spectators, but also adventurers willing to fight, willing to quench the audience's thirst for battle.

The cheering of the crowd became even louder, their cries for more battles resounding throughout the arena. They wanted the fighters to fight, and not just fight, but to fight for their lives, to fight as if their lives depended on it. That, and they wish to see battle, without the horror of war. Rarely do they see adventurers dying infront of their eyes, of course, for none of them wanted to think about it, much more experience the grisly nature of actual battles firsthand.

To the elven King, this sight was somewhat refreshing. Other memories surged in, memories of the same sort of spectacles during the old days. If he simply closed his eyes, he could see his friends, his comrades, and his subjects. The yells of ancient champions, declaring their victory against the odds, against beasts forgotten by time, against mythical dragons, against colossal men of bronze... Such memories play again in vivid quality.

Gah! A bump. He noticed a stout dwarf, passing through the crowd, passively. His equipment was rusty, and mostly broken. His face looked like he has seen very many horrors, the likes of which he had never seen before. Soon, he vanished before the elf could speak a word.

"Uh, Cacame?"

The voice came from behind. Even through the loud shouting and cheering, he can still understand what was said.

"Tiona? What do you ask of me?" he replied in response.

"Uhmmm...Nothing. Whatcha doin?" Now Tione came nearer. Even through the crowded street, she found her way. It did help that people did give her space.

"I want to join this Monsterphilia event."

"Well, first you need some money, and then look for a seat-"

"I am afraid that you are mistaken. I wish to join the event as a gladiator."

"Are you serious?" she cried in disbelief. "Even if you fought against Tione and put her to sleep, you're still Level 1!"

"I have a request for you, Tione" Good, he got her name right, maybe. He had to put this in the most respectable tone possible. "I wish you would pick the seat closest to the arena." And then, he walked. He groped his leather bag, and felt the few circular, metal objects. They clinked, and he vanished from her eyes.

Quickly, she ran to catch up to him, but she could not find him. Her mind quickly tried to think about what to do, and then rushed towards the people she knew could solve...

* * *

"Ok, that's 1000 Valis, sir."

Damn, their prices are outrageous. Even when compared back at the mountain-homes. He groped his bag and gave it to the human.

"Name?" she asked

"Just put there; the Immortal Onslaught."

"Immortal Onslaught?"

"Just out it there."

"...okay. Age?"

"...I forgot."

"You forgot your age?" the human said, sounding unconvinced.

He was getting irritated. "I have lived for a very long time, human. Far too long for me to remember..."

"Just an estimate, then."

"Hmmm...let's see..." How long has it been since? Ten? A hundred? A thousand? Years have blended, due to his age. But as far as he remember, he had lived long before Orario was even founded. But obviously, he could not say that. He'd end up being riduculed, and when one is ridiculed, one couldn't be taken seriously. So, what would he say...

"140." he said. "140 years."

"140..." she wrote it down. "Your level?"

"Level, huh..." Crap. What level is he? Wait... The Sword Princess was Level 5, and most adventurers here are... Level 1. And Level 2 are already considered elite. Tiona is Level 4. Considering their strengths, that would mean that he is... "Level 5."

"Level 5..." she groaned yet again. "Which familia do you belong?"

"...I.. do not have a familia as of now..."

She covered her mouth, at least temporarily. "I am sorry." What?

The lady then handed her a small card, good thing he can read. "You will fight a minotaur after the first battle, is that fine with you?"

He felt quite insulted. "Do you have anything stronger than a minotaur?"

"We do have some captured beasts stronger than a minotaur, but we should not be held accountable to any injuries you sustain, or your death. Do you waive your right?"

"Fine." and he then signed a piece of paper the human handed him.

"We have a young dragon, a giant white ape, a pack of giant serpents, and a stronger variant of a minotaur." the human sounded quite worried. Well, let see... giant apes sound quite weak, the giant serpents sound rather annoying, and weak. The minotaur...naah...still weak. The baby dragon does sound quite tempting, but young dragons are a joke. He once fought a dragon, but it was dead after just two hits. And he did not even know how to wield a hammer back then, much less a shield.

"I would like to battle the strongest monster you have, if you allow me."

The human was silent for a while. "Are you really sure about that? Do you really want to battle the dragon?"

"If that is the strongest, then so be it. When will the battle commence?"

"You will fight after the fourth challenger, so you may have to wait a bit."

"Then so be it." He clutched his hammer tightly. Maybe he would try fighting it with his fists, after all he has a shield. To fight a dragon, you only need a shield to block it's fire. Perhaps he has to handicap himself in this fight...

He then stayed inside the room, like the other gladiators. He can see from here that the first battle had just began...

* * *

The Overseer had participated in this 'Monsterphilia' event. Seeing the structure that they are in, it was quite grand compared to that place. There are people, shouting, screaming.

Why wouldn't they, surely these people love the grand nature of battle. If they are packed around here, and he is here to fight, then he should give them a battle they would never forget.

Soon, he was basked in the sunlight. It was irritating, but he was only too used to it. He had to battle this minotaur. Not really that of a daunting task to him, but still. He can hear their shouts increase in intensity. Now, the minotaur charged towards him. Quickly, he raised his shield and braced for impact. What he did not know is that the minotaur quickly changed course, flanking him.

He was hit, of course. But the impact was not strong. With a stroke of a sword, he sliced the minotaur in the arm. It did not chop it apart, but it did render the arm useless. Blood was splattered everywhere, a sight not unfamiliar to him. Now, the Overseer dashed towards the minotaur, carefully judgding it's next movement. He swiftly sliced the right hoof of the minotaur, and ran aground. It took him seconds to stand up, but those precious seconds are seconds wasted. The minotaur raged, but it fell to all fours. Uh oh, cried the crowd.

The minotaur dashed mindlessly towards the dwarf, but he blocked the horn with his shield. He wrestled the minotaur, pinning the head down with his left foot. The Overseer held the minotaur's broken arm with his shield hand, and pierced the beast's armpit. The minotaur bellowed yet again, the crowd seemingly subdued. Soon, the minotaur stood up, throwing him away. Ah, shoot. The sword was stuck to the minotaur, he had to remove it. Armed only with a shield, the lured the raging minotaur to a wall, crashing. It was stunned, and he only had a few seconds at most to pull it out. Alas, it would not budge, so instead he bashed the minotaur with his shield repeatedly.

Now exhausted, the Overseer nearly fell down to the ground. He was sweating profusely, his arms and legs seemingly giving up. All that running tired him, and he moved away. The minotaur then woke up, staggering. It bellowed yet again, and he could not run away.

He took off his cap, a masterwork steel helm, and threw it towards the charging beast. It then struck the beast at it's right arm, cutting the already mangled arm. The Overseer breathed deeply, he could not pass up this opportunity. With incredible speed, he dashed madly towards the now-chopped off arm. Once he had it, he then held his place, waiting for the minotaur to go to him. It did, and he blocked it's attack with his shield. With it's own arm, he whipped the beast, and then pinned it down once again. With the beast's own arm, he attacked it. Soon, the Overseer was tired. Too tired, and the minotaur began to stand up. It attacked him, throwing him to the nearest wall. There was pain, so much pain. His eyes seem to blur, his mind seem to shake. All he had is his shield, and the arm. He threw the arm towards the minotaur, which yet again charged towards him.

The arm struck true, it pierced the beast's chest. The arm was stuck there, and the minotaur keeled. He slowly stood up, still dizzy. He felt as if he would puke, but he forced himself to swallow it. His back aches so much, he dragged his legs on the ground. The minotaur also huffed, trying to rise up again. The two then got close. The Overseer then avoided the minotaur's other arm, which it still used to put itself above the ground.

The Overseer pulled out his rusty sword from the beast, and then he did. The minotaur cried out in pain, it's roar mixed with cries of despair and fear. The crowd wanted more, so he obliged.

With one fell swoop, the minotaur is no more. Such spectacle surely stunned the crowd, the climax of the struggle of both man and monster, the thrill of such battles is what they are here for. The Overseer had lifted his arm, a sign of sure victory, and the crowd's screams grew even more. What a bloody fight! We want more!

The Elven King was quite amused at this act. The dwarf had fought valiantly against the beast, and won. Though, the gladiator was injured greatly. His injuries are to be dealt with immediately.

It would be rather difficult for others to surpass him in recreating a glorious battle, Cacame mused to himself. Suddenly, a male human arrived and approached him.

"Immortal Onslaught, sir. I think you are next..."

* * *

While roaming around, Tione found both Loki and Aiz. She quickly told them about Cacame joining the Arena, though Loki didn't seem to mind it. They then overheard two Guild members talking about something. They then learned that there are some monsters that escaped from Ganesha Familia's holding area, and it was followed by a shriek. Quickly, the Sword Princess went to the highest area around and searched for them.

Once she had spotted them, she made quick work of them.


	4. Chapter 4: Bravery and Strength

The Overseer rested inside the Arena, many people praising him for defeating a minotaur with it's own hand quite literally. Still, the ghost of past failures taunted him yet again, with no way to rid of or for it to disappear.

"Do you really think you won?" the voice said. He can feel something carressing his neck, underneath his beard. He can feel as if he was being touched, stroked, seduced by such feeling. Shivers quickly bolted through his spine, it chilled him to the core. "Even if you have defeated a minotaur, such beasts are nothing compared to what you have seen..." The ghost stroked him yet again, sweat forming from his forehead.

"You are very pathetic, don't you know?" it said. "You did not save even one soul during your reign. You do not have any notable achievements, no lasting legacies, not even a memoir acknowledging your existence, only a passing line in the many books of history. You. Are. Nothing."

"Silence, ghost!" he bellowed, the first time in years. "I have enough of your taunts. You think your rampage had done any better? You have been demonized in all of history, the murderer, the madman, the one who dealt the killing blow! Leave me, madman, for your history has long ended!"

The ghost then became tangible, taking form of someone he had knew long before. It was female, but it carried the unmistakeable rage of it's former life. Her eyes glow red, the wispy nature of ghosts taking shape of their former lives.

Without warning, the ghost disappeared into the air. "I do not forget... Overseer... Not even once..."

The Overseer then overheard a shrill sound, the gut-wrenching scream of someone in distress. Even though he is exhausted, he could not ignore such pleas. He had failed once, and he shall not fail yet again.

* * *

"Wait for me, Aiz!"

The Sword Princess quickly headed to another area, now that those escapees have been dealt with. There was another scream, this time from the city streets. What she saw was absolutely distressing, blood and guts scattered everywhere, a small child running away, and the face of two battlers drenched in blood. The shorter figure carried a half-broken sword, while the larger figure resembled that of a bear. Both the combatants have scars all over their body, and were in a complete standstill. Upon closer expression, the bear had a metallic piece embedded within it's chest area, and the human apparently too tired to fight. She was to intervene until the shorter figure shouted.

"Dvoralsrul nirrol ashok dalzat, sham nirrol toriråsh!" the smaller figure cried out. Although she does not understand what the figure was saying, it carried the same tone as does one challenging another to a duel.

The smaller figure then charged towards the monster. "*Råsh eknardèg ferilthor! Råsh!" His sword struck the bear's paws, cutting it apart. However, the bear slashed the attacker(defender?) at his sides, and it bled profusely. Knowing that she had to kill more of them, she moved it to attack.

"Nirsten-!?" the stout figure spoke as she hacked the bear monster into pieces. The sword princess noted that the beast seemed rather tired, they must have fought for a long while.

She now got a closer look at the smaller figure. He had scars, but unlike the others most of them looked rather old. He was stout, and bearded. A dwarf, she thought. True to what she had thought of the dwarves, this one was quite tough. "Nice work."

"Nirsten kablal?" the dwarf said to her. She did not reply, for she did not understand the question anyway.

"I'm sorry, but I don't understand you."

Now it was the dwarf's turn to look rather surprised. He then began to mumble something under his breath, and immediately left. Before she could say a word, she heard another roar. This time, she hears a rather familiar sound.

The sound of someone crying for help.

* * *

The Overseer immediately headed towards another place, towards the source of the scream. He wasted no time, and left his shield on the bear's chest. It seems as if the golden-haired human followed him, perhaps she wanted to help. Although his sword is old and rusty, it was still a capable weapon, as demonstrated earlier with that beast.

They have reached the courtyard, and saw something he had never seen before.

A green tentacle monster-plant thing, with flower-like mouth. Though it looked fleshy, he knew that normal swords can't rend it's flesh. Lucky for him, his sword is anything but normal. True, it is duller than it used to be, but it still rends flesh as if it was paper. It simply needed to be sharpened.

"Bystander, run away from here!" he heard one human shout to him. It came from a dark-skinned adventurer, an Amazon from what he learned, wearing skimpy clothing.

Without warning, he charged towards the plant-beast recklessly. One of the tentacles swiftly moved towards him, as if it were a whip. He parried it, but he was propelled away. But the tentacle was cut. If it can be cut, it can be killed. The Overseer stood up, despite the pain all over his body, despite the numbing of his legs. His body felt as if it was going to give up. He would have kneeled on the ground had he not forced himself.

The golden-haired human lunged towards the beast, and was propelled upwards. He had not seen these things before, warriors flying through the air by merely jumping. Wishing not to be humiliated by this feat, he ran towards the beast, slicing and parrying each strike. He held back, and rolled. The OVerseer bumped one of the stores in the courtyard, dropping some weapons on the ground. Without hesitation, he picked up a large shield and blocked the attacks.

The others were fighting the beast, seeing the Amazon fighting it with her bare hands. Seeing this, he fought the beast even more valiantly. But he could no longer run. His legs are already too tired. Even sheer willpower has it's own limits.

"So are you going to give up? Infront of them?"

The ghost reappeared at the most unexpected time, taunting him yet again. But he heeded her not. He walked, blocking or parrying each whip-like strikes. With some bit of luck he had managed to cut some of the appendages, but the beast seem to overpower them. Even the golden-haired human looked strained. She had taken a lot of damage protecting in what seemed like an elf.

Sensing that the beast seem to focus aroun the human, he used this opportunity to strike at it, cutting down one of it's stems. Angered (or so he thought), the monster pushed him away. He ended up being pummeled to another wall. It was very painful, his arms seemed to explode. His chest felt as if it was crushed. His senses began to dull, as his vision blurred and was soaked in blood. He could barely even muster enough stregth to turn his head, much less move his body. All he do was look upwards, despairing. He wished for it to end fast.

"Tempest!"

He can hear the clashing of steel and stem, he can hear the grunts of the warriors, the sound of blood being spilled all over the place. He can also hear the wind, he can feel the wind blowing around him.

"What a fool you are, Overseer..."

* * *

Bell ran through the walls of Daedelus Street, carrying his Goddess as they avoided that fearsome beast. A giant white ape capable of bending steel with just it's grip, facing it right now would be a death wish.

The ground shook rythmically, each shake growing stronger as the time passes. It was getting near...

He looked around, and saw a rather odd-looking wall in the middle of the street. He pressed something on that wall, revealing a small opening fit for his size. He quickly entered through the hole, which sealed itself before the ape could even find it...

* * *

Cacame was quite bored. Although the dragon was a bit larger than what he had anticipated, it ended up being a larger disappointment.

"Is this the strongest they have in this arena?" he mumbled underneath his breath.

He then overheard some conversation, it was from two Guild members from the sound of it. Some monsters? Released? Around the town? This seemed a bit too tempting for him to resist. He quicky headed to the outside, hunting these 'escaped beasts.'

Using his hearing, he searched for some loud noises, and headed towards the loudest of them all. With great speed, he managed to sift through the labyrinthine layout of the streets. He had been accustomed visiting other fortresses during his escapades, and he managed to get himself around in that dark, monotonous place. He managed to reach the place, and saw something rather grisly.

There was some large tentacled beasts in the middle of the courtyard. He can see Aiz flying around, attacking that thing, while seeing Loki and Tione on the sides. There was also that elf, Lefiya with Tiona near a broken stand. There was also a bloodied dwarf below them, being aided by the elf's healing techniques and whatnots. Knowing that inaction leads to death, he charged towards the beast.

One of the tentacles nearly hit him, good thing his nimble feet could keep up with them. He somehow parried some of their attacks with his warhammer, and blocked the others with his shield. He managed to take some of them down, but the flesh of the beasts is quite tough, nearly as hard as steel.

The tentacle monster shifting it's attention towards him and Aiz. He noticed that Aiz seemed to dance around the monster as she attacks, coupled with rage he associated with his youth. Her strikes were swift, calculated, cleaner compared to his wanton hammering. She also seemed to fly, cutting off parts of the tentacle-beast's...well...tentacles. The beast's blood melted the ground below it, something he and his army had been accustomed to.

He took down one of the tentacles by smashing the base into pulp. The beast seemed as if it was made from steel, or some other tough material, nothing a good hammering won't fix. He kept on, furiously smashing through the beast's base. He can hear it's screams getting louder, as it slowly began to attack him more and more.

The acidic blood didn't help, making it a bit harder to move around. He had to be careful, as not to spoil his already aged clothing.

"Oi! It's P!" cried out Tione. That human! Why is he calling him P? What is she doing?! Why isn't she hel-oh... Acid... Now that was quite difficult to fight against, especially when you only have fists. Nevermind, then.

He smashed the base of the plant-beast, acidic blood and plant material scattered everywhere, he had to get away. Meanwhile, the Sword Princess broke her sword midflight. Oh, this is bad. Bad for her, and bad for him. Who will distract these beasts now?

The Sword Princess was then thrown to the wall, that's gonna hurt. Now he was forced to back out, to avoid being the focus of these plant-like beasts. The one of the 'head' of those beasts opened, showing some really deadly-looking teeth. And it was now focused on him. "Won't you help me here?" he shouted to them, unaware he was speaking in Dwarfish.

Behind him, the elf began to stand. Even with her rather serious-looking injuries, she placed her hand infront of the beast. Her body then radiated with light, spooking the hell out of the elf King. Tiona and Tione then charged towards the beast, even if it was quite futile. They did push it back, however. Meanwhile, the Sword Princess went back and charged at the beast, even with her broken sword she still fought. That's the spirit!

Now, the female elf began to speak.

"I call upon the name of Wishe. Ancestors of the Forest, my proud brethren."

How dare her call their-her brethren proud! There was nothing in them that could ever make him proud in his eyes. Or the forest.

"Answer my call and come to the plains!" Her hands were then outstreched to each sides of her. "Bonds connected, the pledge of paradise."

What kind of paradise do cannibals think of? A land filled with dead bodies, perhaps?

"Spin the wheel and dance! Come, ring of the elves. Please, lend me your strength!"

As if he would. Anyways, what is she doing? She's making herself an obvious target!

"Elf Ring!"

A ring then formed around the young elf, shining, sparkling like the rainbow. The light around her gleamed like the morning sun, things that Cacame didn't really appreciate. But she continued.

"Harbringer of the end, white snow, swirl and twist before the twilight."

"Hey, isn't that Summon Burst?" he overheard one of the Amazons. Summon Burst, what are they talking about? What is happening? Even though the elf King is a practicioner of the dark arts of necromancy, these things happening in front of his eyes were quite alien to him, barring acidic blood or metal-like skin.

"Darkening light... frozen earth. Storm of snow, three bitter winters..."

Now this sounded rather familiar to the elf King...

"My name is Alf! Wynn Fymbulvetyr!"

An avalanche of snow was then released towards the beast, all of the four melee battlers dodged the snow, avoiding the bitter coldness of her...whatever that thing is. The beast then froze, and shattered like glass. Ice surrounded it, and the remaining crystals shone like a thousand glimmering stars in the sunlight. "Not bad..."

The amazon sisters/twins then ran towards the female elf. Tione hugged her as she got nearer to the female elf. "Lefiya! You saved us!"

Yeah right...

He was suprised when Loki suddenly appeared out of nowhere, a child along with her. She held a sword, and threw it towards the Sword Princess. "C'mon Aiz, we still have monsters to kill."

"Wait, P!" the thin Amazon asked him. "Didn't you join the Monsterphilia as a gladiator?"

"Uhmm...yes... I did fight there." he replied, sounding a bit more supressed than cocky, something experienced adventurers do when being serious.

"So...you lost?" she asked him again.

"Good heavens, no."

"That fast?"

"It was nothing really..." his eyes then wandered towards the injured dwarf not too far away. "Now, my lady, I still have something else to do. If you could, aid that dwarf over there, he seems to be injured badly."

Cacame then faced Loki, who was still here with Aiz. His hammer rested on his shoulder, yet he was seemingly not tired.

"Mind if I join you?"

* * *

Loki didn't think that Cacame would join them for once. He even reminded her of Bete, a politer version of him at least. Strangely, the elf didn't seem to have a hard time catching up with them. In fact, he didn't seem to tire. They roamed around the streets, looking for, and slaying some of the escaped monsters. Cacame proved himself to be good assistant, although she doubted he even wanted to be one.

"Cacame, behind you!" she shouted. He simply blocked the attack with his shield, and swiftly flanked the raging minotaur and struck it down. Looks like he didn't need any help with that. Aiz also did great, killing the monsters with ease.

Finally, they heard about some giant white ape chasing a similar-coloured boy carrying a similarly-coloured goddess. Aiz immediately ran towards where the rumours say the beast is. When they arrived, they have seen a young boy with pristine-white hair standing over the beast's corpse. Looks like that has been taken care of already...

Loki crept behind Aiz, mumbling about something related to butts and squishing. Without warning, Aiz intentionally hit the red-headed goddess with the sheathed sword in her nose, causing the goddess to spout some vulgar obscenities before getting a hold over herself.

Meanwhile, Cacame silently followed the two. He had already gotten used to this trifles between the goddess and the Sword Princess, although he still finds it rather unnerving. He followed them, back at their home. Well, theirs, perhaps not his, but still functions all the same.

"By the way, Cacame-kun?" the goddess asked him. He had absolutely no idea what the kun means, as if this goddess was injecting some divine language into her speech. "This evening, I think I'm going to bestow to you my blessing. I'm going to ask Finn and the others about their decision."

It made the elf King's heart lighten. A faint hope of the future, perhaps. A future he has no idea how to change...

* * *

The Overseer's eyes opened. He can see wooden planks above him, a faint candle glow beside. He was under some soft sheets, pillows the like of which he had never experienced before.

"Oh, you're awake." he heard a soft voice speak. It was not the ghost who haunted him, but another person entirely. It came from a green-haired elf standing near the door's post, and she sounded awfully worried.

"Nirrol kûllal?" he asked, shaking his head. "Gah..."

"Ah... you speak in Dwarfish, I see..." she replied in his tongue. "You are here in the Goddess of Fertility's tavern. Good thing they got you in before they closed.

"So... Elf... What are you doing here?" he asked her.

"I am here to take a care of you while you're asleep. Your injuries are going to heal, at least you only have some minor fractures." she said. "We also cleaned up your equipment, you have been adventuring out there with broken equipment..." She pointed towards the side of the bed he is on.

The Overseer then rose, pushing away the covers. He touched his face, noticing some of the scars disappeared. "Who are you?"

The elf was silent for a while. Then she spoke; "I am Riveria of the Loki Familia, and I am here to take care about your injuries."


	5. Chapter 5: Iron Will, Iron Fist

She woke up inside a simple room. The room was brightly lit, and she has been under covers. She tried to move her body, but found out that she couldn't do so. Her body was wrapped in bandages, her skin feeling rather rough and hard.

She can see another person within the room, a dwarf. His beard was braided thrice, and his clothing looked rather pristine. "Oh, your'e already awake." His voice was raspy, sounding a bit shaky.

"Where..." Her mouth felt rather stiff, it was painful. As if her skin prevented her in doing so...

"Ah... You are inside a hidden room in a tavern. Welcome back to reality, my Queen."

Queen, oh right. She remembered now. She had fought valiantly, almost without rest. Countless hordes of elves, wave after wave after wave. She remembered that she was alone, alone in her own kingdom. She remembered the death of her husband, the death of her offsprings. She rembered that rage, the rage that kept her from pulling her into melancholy and depair.

"Please don't move around much your majesty, the adamantine strings are still sewed on your majesty's body. It might tear some of your remaining skin."

Adamantine? Sewed on her body? She struggled once again, yet her body felt as if it was being held in place. She could not even move anymore.

"Who are you?" She tried her hardest to speak.

"Me? I am but a simple medic. Master said I should stay here and alert him if you ever woke up. And now that you do." The dwarf walked around, lightly tapping his feet. Suddenly, the door swung open, revealing a buff dwarf clothed in bright, noble purple. His head is bald, his eyes looking rather stern. The buff dwarf then faced the medic, whispering something to him, and the medic left.

"Good morning, my Queen." His voice sounded rather tough, calm yet intimidating. "It looks like my restoration project was a success."

"Restoration...project?" she asked rather weakly.

"The dwarves have been busy mining and working on adamantine. We have found your body on our capital fortress, almost dead. Your body has been patched with countless adamantine strings, and it seems like it has almost healed. After the operation, we waited." he said. "And it seems like our work was a huge success, your excellency."

"Once the adamantine strings have been fully grafted underneath the skin, I believe we should go for a test run. After that, you should going to undergo more healing rituals. By tommorow, the pain should have subsided.

She sighed. "So, how long have I been asleep."

"A very long time, my Queen. A very long time..."

"So, shall we decide on what we should do with Cacame?"

The room was silent, barring the near-hyperenergetic goddess. Riveria managed to arrive her on time after taking care of that adventurer. Finn clasped his hands over the table as he sat on his chair. "Have you heard about his fight during the Monsterphilia event?"

"Yeah, they said an elf managed to maim the dragon with one hit." Gareth spoke. "Surprising, given that he hasn't even recieved the Blessing of the Gods."

"He didn't?" Finn asked.

"I checked, he had none." Loki replied. "As if he was a starting adventurer..."

"Didn't he say that he was King of some kingdom?" Finn asked, facing Riveria.

The answer came from, unexpectedly, Gareth. "I have heard about Gamildodok, they said it was once founded during the Age of Myth."

"Age of Myth?"

"It was the term my kind used, referring to that time period when most civilizations rose to power, before the Gods even descended into the Lower Realm. Gamildodok was one of those cities, the center of power by one of the few strong civilization. It was during the first century, I think, when it did become one of the most feared cities during that time period."

"I've also looked on it, strangely the kingdom was hell-bent on waging war against all it's enemies." Riveria interjected. "Their king, reportedly, waged war against elves. Though it was not the only one, it was feared solely because of their king."

"The king, eh? Are they referring to the previous king of that civilization?" Finn asked Riveria.

"Well, no... There are no records of the king being replaced, not even one." she replied.

"Huh, that's strange..." Loki remarked. "But you gotta admit, he is rather strong. He even fought with Aiz back there, nearly matching her in speeed and strength."

"Yes, but doesn't that feel a bit strange? I asked some of the members of the Guild about him, they said he came infront of their doorsteps carrying an impressive amount of monster gems." Finn replied. "He disappeared within the Dungeon before that, for a very long time even."

"Well, I do admit he looks strange, but I think we could perhaps take him under our wing, before others do." Gareth spoke. "If he does trouble us, we'll have no problem taking him down."

"I doubt it..." the green-haired elf replied. "Something about him feels wrong... As if he is...different. The magic around him feels strange, as if he is surrounded by death."

"Death? Now that you said it, he does feel strange, old even. But, just as Gareth said, we'll have no problem taking care of him should he become trouble. Making him a member might help us making his intentions clearer, his Status a known to us." the prum said.

"I agree with that." Loki said. "I have no doubt that you three can take care of him in a straight battle. Tonight, I will bestow upon him my blessing. I'll tell you if I find something strange."

"Well, if Loki says it... We should gather more information about him, and his kingdom." the elf replied.

"It is decided then." Finn said, stretching his arms. "It's almost dinner, so perhaps we should eat."

Loki then stood up. "Well, go ahead. Hurry up, though. I still have a meeting to hold somewhere else"

After the dinner, Loki then went to Cacame's temporary room. It was dark, the windows were shut and the magic lamps unused. His weapon was placed neatly near his bedside, his cape placed inside a cabinet.

"What brings you here, my Goddess?" The elf King said. He had been reading, even in the absolute darkness of the room. Loki wondered if he had gone insane, then again he seemed rather tame compared to others. "I'm going to mark my Blessing unto you. For that, I need to turn on the lights to see."

"...Sure." the elf sighed.

Loki then activated the magic stones, and sat on his bed. "For that, you should remove your tunic, or whatever that is. Then face your back towards me."

He obeyed without saying another word. He revealed his torso, revealing a rather clean and white skin underneath it. Loki managed to whistle a tune. The elf king then sat on a chair placed near the bed.

Loki then performed the ritual, it only took a few minutes, and then the Status tatoo appeared on his back. "Well, that already-WHOAWHOAWHOA!"

The sound reverbrated around the mansion, alerting some of the still-awake members inside the house much to their surprise.

STATUS

Lv. 1

Strength: I-1 Defense: I-1 Dexterity: I-1 Agility: I-1 Magic: I-1

Magic

[Raise Dead]

\- Can raise any dead creature that has it's head intact

\- Strengthens the undead summoned by 300%

\- Summoned undead can only be taken down by mangling it

\- Requires only a hand gesture to cast

\- Continued use does not result in Mind Down

Skill

[Necromancer]

\- Partial Immortality, requires no food or water

\- Becomes Ageless

\- Can only be killed by physical means

\- Enables Raise Dead

"What seems to be the problem?" the elf asked her. Though the stats have displayed normally, Loki can't help but feel that something is off.

There are hidden attributes behind this monstrous being. Stats that aren't displayed by the status. If he were normal, Loki wouldn't notice, but after getting his status, Cacame's power seem to skyrocket. It doubled, maybe even tripled, his rather buff body remained the same.

Still, she couldn't fathom how the elf managed to reach this kinds of strength.

Loki took a pin, and pierced her finger. With her blood, she began the ritual to hide his Status, not like anyone was gonna look, but it is a safe countermeasure. After a few minutes, she was finished and the tatoo then faded. "Now I have to go, I still have some meeting to catch up..."

Cacame was only too eager to let her be. After all, he also had some business to attend to, namely the registration process. "I also have to go, my Goddess." he said after taking his equipment. He had to, otherwise he has to go to prison...

The Overseer was already discharged. He did not have to pay for anything, the services have already been payed for by that elf and her group. He also noticed that the ghost seem to haunt him even less these days. Perhaps she had others to torment? Though that might be possible, he still kept his guard.

He roamed around the city, it was already night-time. The lights around him disorented the poor dwarf, that takes a bit more time to get used to. He could spot a faint figure from far-away, running as if he was in a hurry. But still the problem remains. After all, sleeping with rocks prove rather detrimental to spine.

The Overseer ended up in an old temple, for some reason. It could be empty, and no-one seemed to live here. Just a simple room would be enough, at least until he earns some money. His hands wandered to his pocket, coins jingling in his pocket. That should be enough for a drink and some food, he thought. The night grew deeper, and so he slept.

The morning sun rose many hours later, his body already accustomed to waking up rather early. To his surprise, he was greeted by a small, round, and angry human face. She was a beauty, even he couldn't deny that.

"What are you doing here?" she said, anger thinly veiled in her voice. She pouted even more, her jet black hair complementing the pristine white face and clothes.

"Uh..." he muttered, remembering that he couldn't speak their language. He couldn't even understand what she said, but he had a strong feeling it had something to do with him. So, to clear things, he had to say something.

"Nirrol keb..." he placed his hand on his chest, emphasizing it. "Ostarolon."

"What?" the woman raised her eyebrow. He repeated the action, making it much more obvious to her.

"Ostar...olon." he said once again.

"Oh, so your name is Ostar Olon." she replied. Though the dwarf couldn't understand what she said, he could only make sense of his name in her speech.

"So, Ostar, what are you doing here?" the woman said. Once again, he couldn't make sense of what she said. "Ok, I'll make it rather simple. Ostar"

"Goddess!" another voice cried out. It came from the other end of the structure, near the altar. It revealed a small white-haired human, a young boy perhaps. "Goddess, who is that?" he asked her.

"Oh, this?" she replied, facing the boy while pointing towards him. "He said he is Ostarolon, but I don't understand what he is saying..."

"Oh! Can I try speaking to him?" the boy said, sounding rather cheerful. The Overseer had no idea what the two was talking about. "Hello!" the boy said.

Ostarolon said nothing, for all he knows he could end up being killed. He had to be careful about what he says next.

The boy, still sounding a bit cheerful, pointed his hand towards the dwarf's chest. "Ostarolon." After that, the boy pointed it towards his own chest. "Bell"

He repeated his until the dwarf could quite understand what he was saying. "Bell." the dwarf said while pointing his hand towards the boy. "Bell."

"Now you got it." he said. "Now, can you tell us how you got here?"

That took a few minutes of pointing fingers, repeating certain words, some guessing games, and the combination of both Koine and Dwarfish being spoken back and forth. Though it did took a while, the Overseer was a fast learner.

"I...sleep...here" he spoke, though it was rather broken. "I no-Not...bad..."

"Oh, so you slept here last night because it was dark?" asked the white-haired boy. Ostar only nodded weakly, barely understanding what was said. "If so, then why don't you stay here?"

After another round of attempts on translation and cross-communication, the white-haired human then understood (though weakly) how and why he was here. "It seems like there's no problem with him here, dear Goddess." the boy said.

"I-if you say so..." the woman muttered. Then, the boy left. When he did, the white-clothed woman walked closer. "Listen carefully, if you do harm Bell in any way, I will not forgive you. Understood?"

Though there still was the language barrier, the dwarf managed to whimper a weak 'yes' in their language. There was something in this woman, something that makes him feel...somewhat strange. He also noted that the ghost did not appear, it was the longest time she did, and the dwarf almost sighed in relief. Almost, for he can never be too careful.

Being overly cautious is always better than none at all. All those years taught him that, and it kept him alive. Now, his suspicions now wandered towards this woman right here and her companion. Seeds of doubt grew within him, perhaps out of habit.

"Sorry... I...go now." he said. He took his equipment (which wasn't tampered with, thank the gods) and left. He had another day infront of him, another day to live and fight, and most of all to survive.

He went to the streets, looking for some good ale to drink.

He had not been late, the Immortal Onslaught was happy that he did. To celebrate it, he headed towards that tavern, namely, the Benevolent Mistress's Tavern. He learned of that name after a few talks with some of the Loki's members, and was said to be her favorite pub. Well, it's hard to dispute her on that, their ale does taste delicious.

Though it (the pub, not the pastry shop) was still technically closed, he was allowed to have a small meal, their pastries being sold early this morning. Well, he had to wait then, pastries are not his thing. And they were not yet allowed to drink bear. Oh joy...

So he decided to kill time instead. He went back to the mansion to ask Loki if he could go on a hunting spree. On the trip back home, he spotted a dwarf, ragged and broken. It was that dwarf from the Arena, without doubt. When he got closer, he then recognized the figure, something his subjects have been talking about during their excavation of that place.

It was also one of the reasons he had to go to Orario.

"Fersrul eknar..." the dwarf scoffed.

"So you think I'm an ugly elf, eh? Can't blame you."

Now the dwarf looked at him in surprise, of course. It was the second time he heard an elf speak in Dwarfish since coming here. "You got me, he said in reply. The elf just laughed, perhaps a bit subdued, but it was enough for the dwarf to spot it. "What do you want?"

"Well, pardon the intrusion but I do have a question to ask." The elf replied, sounding more grave and serious. "You seem to fight the minotaur quite ferociously."

"So what about it, then? the dwarf replied.

"It seems as if you still know nothing, do you?"

"What do I don't know about? Love? Elegance?" And he added 'Like I'd succumb to your filthy elfiness, you twat' in his thoughts.

The elf scoffed at the mention of the two words. "What do I care about elegance, all those beauty can rot in hell."

"What's your point, then?"

"You have lost your shield, I see.

That struck the dwarf squarely, memories of that ungodly place began flooding his mind. "What do you mean by that?"

"You still don't get it, do you?"

"Get what? Art?"

"Kisat Dur."

"Kisat dur? What are you prattling about elf? What do you want with an age old fighting technique? You are no dwarf."

"I do concede, I am no dwarf. But the way you fought, it intrigues me. You do know that only a few practice that method of fighting. But you seem to know how it is done, and so I wish to strike a deal with you."

A slight sigh escaped the dwarf's mouth. "What do you propose, filthy elf?"

The elf King cackled slightly. "Come, join me and my kingdom. Your skills are needed by my warriors."

"Like I'd teach a bunch of elves how to fight like a dwarf..."

"Oh, but you are quite mistaken about that. You are not training them, you are to train my dwarves."

"And why would I believe you, elf?" the dwarf asked him, in a rather neutral tone than earlier. It was clear that he had been swayed by this elf's words, it would be fair if he hear him out.

The elf, instead of speaking, held his hammer towards the dwarf. The dwarf looked at it, squinting hardly. It suddenly became clear to him.

The hammer had a certain engraving on it, one of a dwarf standing over the bodies of goblins, elves, and a dragon. The dwarf was laughing.

The Queen moved her left arm, it seems to be more responsive now. She could already move her other extremeties better. The strange healing rituals of the humans managed to strengthen her movements, at least for the time being. Now, she tried to move her other arm. It felt rather strange to her, her body being different from what she was accustomed to. But somehow she felt lighter, a bit more limber. It must have been the adamantine strands around her body.

She can feel no pain, for it was thought that dwarven skin is the only thing that can feel pain. Now that her skin was removed save for her face, she could already imagine herself fighting more ferociously that ever before. That's right. She would fight them again. They will all meet death by her blade. And none will survive her onslaught.

"Good afternoon, my Queen." the chief medic bowed before her. "The human magic seem to work, already can move your arms and legs. This is quite wonderful, yes."

"Dwarf." She said, her voice shaking the poor doctor's bones. "Have you recovered by equipment."

The doctor's nerves eased, yet his voice trembled in fear. "My Queen, I do believe that the high smiths we brought along in this small settlement are working on strengthening your armour. As for your majesty's weapon, I fear that it had been lost to us, taken by raiders before we could reach the capital."

"Very well, then." she replied. And she stood up, much to the doctor's surprise. She was about a meter in height, and coupled with her impressive musculature, it made her look rather intimidating.

"M-My Queen! Your injuries have not been fully healed. It is be-"

"Do you ridicule me, Chief Medical Dwarf? DO you underestimate the strength of my body? Do you underestimate the strength of my will?"

"Well, no my Queen-"

"Then silence."

The Queen then walked towards the nearest window, every movement requiring supreme effort due to the adamantine grafted on her body. Her body had been covered by the teal strands, from chest to toe. Only her face remained with flesh, her old and wrinkly skin seemingly untouched by the medics.

"Doctor, fetch me a weapon. A sword would be ideal."

"Right away, my Queen." he replied as he left, fearful from the Queen's wrath. Even though she had died, rumours said that her revival will bring dwarves into their Golden Ages.

And it seems like she was planning exactly that, he continued. After a few minutes, the chief medic returned, carrying a huge sword that outmatches even the greatest of their artifacts. Strength emanated from it's very blade, it's weight matching it's size. Steel, she thought. Steel is good.

She took the sword from the smaller dwarf, and swung it. The tip of the sword barely brushed the chief medic's beard, and he was sweating nervously.

"Huh, my skills are rustier than I first thought." she spoke. "Doctor, have you got any spare room in this inn I could use as a training court?"

"I am not sure, my Queen, but it is better perhaps if your majesty would train somewhere else, unbounded by the restrictions of this 'small' room."

"You're right, so off we should go."

"Off to where, your majesty?"

"Off to meet this settlement's finest warriors. Though I do not know if I could still hold up like before, it is better to train against hardened veterans than puny weaklings." she chuckled. And I do not know if I could still fight like before, she added mentally.

"Right away, your Majesty. I will inform our messengers of this."

And the dwarf left. The Queen took a walk outside, feeling a bit strange. All she ever thought before was to fight, and she never took pleasure at things, nor does she had the time. Now that she does, it feels rather invigorating. A breath of fresh air felt better than the dank smell of the mines or the various scents inside the castle.

The outside was something she had to get used to, seeing that this was a human settlement. It was also large, various building and houses stacked over each other like a tower. The road was broken, as if it was descending downwards like stairs. Farther away, she saw a huge wall encircling the settlement, as if protecting it from the dangers outside. And as she looked back at the inn, she could see the imposing figure of the tower, piercing the very sky. Oh, how long had she slept...

Now, she felt her blood boil. She felt rather eager to fight, to experience the taste of combat once again. Though it had been actually a few hours, it felt too long, too dull. She barely noticed a small object being thrown at her direction. On instinct, she moved her blade faster than the eye could see, cutting the fruit in half.

"Hmmm... Still need to work on my movement."

The slices fell on the pavement below, when she took a closer look it had been made apparent that the slice wasn't perfect. It had been too rough, too forced.

She had a long day ahead of her. No point in wasting more time, she thought. Especially on a perfect day like this...

"You know, that Cacame is just downright strange."

The red-headed goddess said, while sipping some high-quality tea in her dainty little cup.

"All his attributes are doubled, you say?"

The voice came from the seated prum, the general of Loki's Familia. His voice sounded more of curiousity rather than of actual surprise. Given that it usually happens to adventurers, the prum felt as if there was something else. "You said that he has magic, right?"

"I did. Strange that his magic is related to death..." replied the red-haired goddess.

"Death?" asked Riveria, one of the top mages in the Familia, perhaps of all Orario. "Now that you said it, he does feel as if he is surrounded by death."

"What was his magic, then?" interrupted Gareth, who looked rather impatient.

"[Raise Dead]..." replied the goddess. "His magic allows him to raise the dead."

Now that was something rather shocking to these adventurers. They know not of any other adventurer posessing such magic, and it was a surpise to Riveria that said pracitioner of those vile arts is an elf. After all, almost all necromancers were banished after the Gods descended. "Necromancy." she says. "I though nobody practices it anymore..."

"Well, this necromancy was stranger compared to the common necromancer." replied Loki. "His abilities seem connected to a god, who that god is I do not know. However, his [Raise Dead] is connected to his skill, Necromancer."

"Necromancer?" asked Finn.

"It is mostly a passive skill, as it makes the adventurer become partially immortal." the goddess said. "He needs no food, no water, yet he can be killed by other means."

A slight laughter escaped the dwarf's mouth. "No food and water needed, eh? Sounds like the ideal adventurer."

"Yes, it does sound tempting, in logistical terms of course." the prum said. "But since this passive skill is also connected to [Raise Dead], he could also eliminate the need for actually getting into battle himself, he could just raise some dead body and order it to do whatever he wants it to do."

"On the contrary, Finn." Riveria interjected. "I do not think that Necromancy allows full control over the dead bodies, perhaps order them to do something general, yes, but actually ordering an entire horde of zombies is rather improbable with Death Magic."

The elf then faced towards Loki. "And I think that he would end up becoming rather metally drained after that."

"No, I don't think so." replied Loki. "Strangely, this magic of his costs nothing."

"...Nothing?"

They all trembled, the implications of having magic that wouldn't consume their mental strength/willpower/spirit is rather disturbing. An adventurer who could raise the dead, immortal, and can cast it endlessly, they shuddered at the though of what else this strange being could do.

Finn, who was sitting earlier, now stood up. His hands were placed on the table. "Odd... My finger... It's not hurting..."

"Anyway, now that we know of his ability, we must keep close tabs on him. With that ability, he could become much more of a problem than we thought. Keep his skills and abilities a secret within this room. Do not let anyone know about it."

And the room fell silent, in agreement to what Finn had ordered. After that, Loki headed outside, to meet up with her Aiz-tan. A slight giggle escaped from her breath, sounding much more mischievous than normal. It was going to be fun.

The ghost of Boatmurdered began to roam around Orario. Though haunting the poor sod was enjoyable, it felt rather hollow now that he became resistant to her taunts. A whole new settlement awaits her, and her terrible fury.

She had noticed one particular flesh-bound mortal, a dwarf, who had clearly been drunk. Good. It was easier to haunt someone out of their own mind. The ghost followed him, and when she was close enough to grasp him, she took hold of his mind. There was a lot inside this dwarf's mind recently, some struggles, a fight, the stench of death, the feeling of satisfaction, and an unhealthy obsession with the dwarven anatomy, particularly those of children. Now that she was inside, there was only one way she could control him.

A possession.

Suddenly, the drunk dwarf was filled with a strange mood, an odd resolve to create something with his bare hands. Ardeskel, the voices inside him said. The chant repeated itself, each word becoming louder as time passes. He was becoming insane, if he already wasn't. And there was only one thing that would sate this grave emotion, this overwhelming desire. That is, to make an artifact.

The dwarf then laid out his plans, even though in drunken haze his mind worked fast enough to make the rough layout, yes. He'll need some leather, three gems, and bones.

Bones, yes. Bone will suffice.

Without further delay, the dwarf headed out into the darkness of the night. Muffled screams echoed throughout the buildings, and then it faded. He smiled, wiping the blood from his lips.

The elf king had sucessfully convinced that poor dwarf. Though it was difficult, he managed to persuade him to join him. Of course, that dwarf became silent after showing his hammer, a symbol of his once proud kingdom

Cacame noticed that the night grew darker. It was already midnight, and the lights in the homes were closed. He remembered that he had to return, he still has his duty as a member of Loki's familia.

On his way back to the mansion, he bumped in to an adventurer. An elf. His blood boiled, but he reined his his rage and bigotry.

"Watch where you're going." the elf said.

"Speak for yourself." Cacame replied. "You abomination."

"What did you say?" the other elf as enraged as he asked him.

"I thought one word was enough for a noble creature like you, was it not?

As the elf's face faced the other, the latter was surprised. "I didn't think that a rude creature like you can be called an elf."

"I am too ashamed of calling myself an elf, especially with a filthy piece of scum like you."

"What did you say you pathetic wench?!"

"I said that elves are stupid, abhorrent, cowardly, tree-huggers who are too obsessed with nature and pride, and I find myself being disgusted by calling the likes of you my kin." Cacame snorted in reply.

"You will regret those words, traitor." The other elf took out his staff. "Now rot in hell!"

The elf mage started to chant. "I call upon the forces of nature, the fire of volcanoes. Let this twisted abomintation feel the wrath of fire! Spit Fyre!" The spell was short and weak, yet at close range it was rather powerful. One hit can kill any mortal infront of his wake.

There was smoke, yet there were no signs of destruction. He summoned a fireball, and it's strength was enough to burn through the toughest of metal. And when the smoke subsided, the heretical fool died.

Not. With great force, the elf king punched through the mage's gut. The mage was then thrown far away, hitting the wall of a building with a splat. It was obvious that he survived, but that foolish adventurer was injured greatly.

The elf king winced slightly at his burns, it was hard defending against a sudden firebolt at point-blank range. But the fire was colder than what he once dealt with, yes. The heat of dragonsfire was something he had to endure in one of his fights.

"Now, who's the fool here?" the victor muttered, his steps fading into the night.


End file.
